I have a request regarding the loss of my code. My code used to be lost by who i USED to refer to as an "unnamed idiot" in my posts, but I'm telling the truth, and robbing him of any online recognition.

His name is Bill Eckerson and to be honest I hope he reads this. I completely blame him for the loss of my code! He probably won't get around to read this, because he is on a run from his Casper life, and I at least don't blame him for that. But to be honest, I hope he does read this. Casper sucks, and due to an accident (that was entirely my fault) I am stuck here for a little bit longer. My friendship with Bill during the time I was located in this wanna-be cowboy municipality is just another dis-satisfactory element of my memory of this suburb.

If you want to know, he kept the entire collection of my games. Why am I complaining, you wonder? Because like an idiot, he only kept the executables that won't even run in Windows anymore! He threw away the code, and he can't even live up to what he's done! Like a sissy-pants, he blames my mom!

I still have the executables, though. They won't run in Windows anymore, so all they do is haunt me! If you think you know of a way to decompile them, that's a God-send, but that's not what this post is about!

My games exist in a lost past that I can't resurrect and have to learn to start accepting.

Anyway, does anyone know where I can find a simple game programming tutorial? I have chosen, i want to develop for the Nintendo 3ds, PSP, though I would prefer to program for the Sega Dreamcast. Any help you can get me you can get me would be greatly appreciated.I was a huge Phantasy Star Online fan. I have a keyboard for it left over from Phantasy Star Online (which I loved) and would like links to a version of Linux for my Dreamcast. One of my worries is the internet connection of the DC. I used it to get online back in the PSO days, before the whole "broadband" thing. I still have my dial-up modem on it. I know broadband exists for it. Should I order a kit? Is it even possible? I think i'm going to have to to get my Dreamcast online, anymore.

THE EXECUTABLES OF MY GAMES are attached to this message.

NOT THE CODE, JUST THE EXECUTABLES!!! GrrrRRRrrRRrrR!!

Bacterius

13,181

February 10, 2014 06:26 AM

1. You cannot convert a native binary back to readable source code. There isn't enough information left and you might be able to just get back incoherent, partially inlined functions with randomly generated variable names and almost no structure. You won't be able to use the code in any meaningful way.

2. If this is not about decompilation but about game programming tutorials, then don't make the title of your thread "decompilation request". Now developing for consoles is not as easy as developing for PC since they are usually not open platforms, and I recommend you start with the basics on PC before going for console development. In any case, this thread will be likely moved to one of our technical forums where you should hopefully get more guidance.

3. Please don't post the same thread six times. If your internet connection screwed up after posting, don't just spam the "post" button, check if your thread made it and then try to post again if it didn't.

“If I understand the standard right it is legal and safe to do this but the resulting value could be anything.”

fastcall22

10,918

February 10, 2014 07:07 AM

If it's not too late, you can usually recover deleted files with some sort of undeleter. I've personally used piriform's recuva. Perhaps you might be able to recover some (or all) of your source files.

EDIT:

Also, backups. Have them.

Or source control. SVN or GIT, or what have you.

RLS0812

3,045

February 10, 2014 08:07 AM

You can decompile it ... prepare to spend many weeks translating the mess that results.

I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hodgman

52,718

February 10, 2014 10:08 AM

How did it come to be that you didn't have any copies of your own code, and a friend was responsible for preserving it?

Too late now but for next time, get yourself a Dropbox (etc) account

Did you get any information in your old Dreamcast thread to get you started doing homebrew for it, or at you still at square one?

. 22 Racing Series .

samoth

9,833

February 10, 2014 10:52 AM

I think it was a mistake making marijuana legal in Colorado. Who blamed whose mother for what? Got no source control and no backup, and want to develop for consoles?

SimonForsman

7,644

February 10, 2014 11:16 AM

How did it come to be that you didn't have any copies of your own code, and a friend was responsible for preserving it?

Too late now but for next time, get yourself a Dropbox (etc) account

Did you get any information in your old Dreamcast thread to get you started doing homebrew for it, or at you still at square one?

You'd be surprised at how common it is to lose code to early projects.

I've lost the code to most of my early games, old floppies that no longer work properly, crashed harddrives, misplaced backups, the list goes on.

The OP is talking about games that no longer run on Windows so they're likely to pre-date dropbox :)

[size="1"]I don't suffer from insanity, I'm enjoying every minute of it.
The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!

Hodgman

52,718

February 10, 2014 11:34 AM

How did it come to be that you didn't have any copies of your own code, and a friend was responsible for preserving it?
Too late now but for next time, get yourself a Dropbox (etc) account

Did you get any information in your old Dreamcast thread to get you started doing homebrew for it, or at you still at square one?

You'd be surprised at how common it is to lose code to early projects.

I've lost the code to most of my early games, old floppies that no longer work properly, crashed harddrives, misplaced backups, the list goes on.

Yeah, I've lost a tonne of old stuff. HDD failure, forgetting to backup before formatting, dropping floppies into drains... But that's all my fault/accidents; I'm not blaming/insulting my friends for not keeping backups of my stuff